The Winter She'll Never See
by VioletDragonian
Summary: Annie is a very shy girl with terrible anxiety when she comes to Oak Tree Town, but a certain old lady may just be what she needs to come out of her shell. This is a creative retelling of Eda's rivalry events as Annie looks back on them, the morning of Winter 1st, before bringing her elderly neighbor some fresh vegetables.


Early morning rays of sunlight filtered in over mountaintops, shining gently through golden leaves as they fell from the trees all around in a heavy dusting of the season past. Birds chattered happily from the shedding trees, their bright feathers ruffled by the chill autumn breeze that had the leaves dancing below. Even the grass on the ground, still mostly green, had strips of frost along the edges of its wilting blades as the upcoming winter encroached ever closer.

In a large manmade clearing within all of the trees on the mountain, a cozy farm lay nestled. A barn and chicken coop filled with animals equally as talkative as the songbirds outside, tilled plots of land filled with soon to be wilted crops, young saplings ready to grow into fruit trees for the upcoming spring, and a homely, bordering on shabby, little farmhouse at the center of it all, the little farm was a charming place to behold.

"It'll be any day, now." Kneeling in the cold, rich earth of one of the crop plots, the young owner of the farm sat back against her feet and looked up at the brightening sky. She breathed in a deep sigh, slowly releasing her warm breath and watching it mist away up into the air before vanishing. Something about the particular chill this morning felt different. "Ah, maybe tomorrow. The world sure seems ready for snow."

Looking back to the hearty sweet potato plants, strong from being nurtured and grown with a caring touch, the young farmer set back to harvesting what she was sure would be their last produce before the harsh bite of winter came to take them. Her hands and dress were coated in the dry, cold soil she was digging through to find the elusive yams, but she didn't seem to take mind. With each sweet potato she pulled from the ground and set into the basket beside her, the sun rose slightly ever more into the sky, defrosting the leaves of the plants all around her but not enough to cut the chill in the air.

As she worked, her gaze drifted down to the purple root vegetables passing through her hands. _Madam Eda will enjoy these._ A small smile graced her face at the thought of the old woman, and the memories they'd made together over the past three seasons. Eda loved baked sweet potatoes, which made them the young farmer's go to choice when she wanted to bring her elder something nice, and often made them the indirect cause of some interesting conversations. Or shenanigans, if Fritz happened to be involved.

With a snort, the young girl thought back to that spring, only weeks after she'd arrived in town.

 _A warm breeze pushed gently against the girl's back as she shyly inched her way toward her neighbor's house, walking slower than she could have out of anxiety. Eventually she did reach the door and knocked ever so lightly, ready to dash away at a moment's notice if she was unwanted. Though her knock would have gone unheard by anyone else, quiet as it was, the old woman inside still caught it and called sweetly from inside to enter._

 _The door creaked as the young farmer stepped inside the small house, startling her. She flitted away from the noise, leaving the door unsupported and nearly jumping out of her skin when it slammed shut behind her as a result. Ahead, seated at the four person dinner table, the owner of the house chuckled at the younger's mouse-like bravery._

 _"Why hello there, Annie! You've come at the perfect time." Madam Eda spoke up warmly, gesturing to the chair across from her. "Have a seat right here, dearie. I'll put on some tea."_

 _The young girl, Annie, instantly relaxed at the welcoming invite and did as asked, quietly padding over to the aforementioned chair and brushing her skirts under her legs as she sat. Eda slowly stood, taking her time with her old limbs, and made the same tea she'd shared with Annie so many times over meals during the girl's first week in town._

Current day Annie found herself nearly drooling. Tea sounded very nice right now, especially that particular tea. Maybe if she shared these fresh sweet potatoes with Madam Eda she could have some before her chores…? She'd really have to ask the old woman how to make it herself so she could stop bothering her so much.

 _The two talked over their tea for a long while, Eda gently prompting Annie to tell her more of her life back in the city, though the girl mostly just kept quietly saying she was enjoying being away from the stifling environment back home. Eventually the two were interrupted with shouts from outside, which were immediately punctuated by Fritz flying in through the door, his energy practically making the air around him wobble like it was over the hot tea kettle on the stove currently. Annie was nearly ready to try hiding inside her teacup, more than a little startled by the overly excitable boy's dramatic entrance._

 _"Hey Granny! Want me to help with the chickens?" He beamed, messy hair flying every which way as he grinned cheerily. Before the old woman could answer, he took notice of his new rival at the table, who was now desperately wondering if she could escape through the window. "Yo, you came to help out too?"_

 _Annie tried her best to melt into the floorboards. She wasn't the best at social interaction, clearly._

 _Fritz miraculously seemed to pick up on her nervous unease, and he calmed down a little, trying to come across in a more gentle demeanor. "How about I take care of things today so you two can have tea together?" He offered sweetly, feeling a little bad for scaring the anxious newcomer._

 _"Thank you, dear." Madam Eda was thanking him both for helping and for trying to make the younger girl more comfortable, but mostly for the latter. It was easy sometimes to forget that even Fritz could be perceptive of such situations. The boy nodded and dashed out the door again, leaving the old woman to cringe as the door slammed back shut and Annie once again contemplated hiding in the teacup as she shrank into her own dress. She sighed. Perceptive for the most part, at least._

Dusting off yet another sweet potato, Annie shook her head. Even still, though she was used to the townspeople now, she couldn't help but jump at every little noise and raised voice. She wondered if she'd ever get over that. At least farming was much more peaceful than her hectic life back in the bustling city, where her days were spent more in panic than anything.

 _Over time, the two finished their tea and the young farmer had relaxed into her chair, though she was still clearly a little nervous as she fiddled with the ends of her long tied hair. Trying to get the girl's attention away from whatever she was internally stressing over, Eda spoke up again after a long while of silence. "He said he was going to help with the chickens, but it sure has been quite a while now. I hope everything's okay."_

 _Annie planned to say nothing, not having a smart or worthwhile response to that, but she didn't get the chance to. As if on cue, Fritz could be heard shouting outside, arguing with an angry sounding chicken, the two women guessing as the hen was trying to escape the coop. Eda sighed, again. And though it would make the girl very nervous all over again, the older woman didn't think she could handle the situation herself._

 _"It sounds like there's quite a racket outside. Annie, dear, would you please go check on him?" The old woman asked. Annie nodded ever so slightly, cautiously rising from her seat and going outside, her skirts bunched in white knuckles to keep from tripping as she went._

 _She quickly spotted the brash young boy crouched on the ground beside a particularly stubborn looking hen, the bird turning away from him as he tried to talk to it._

 _"Come on, please? Please go back in the coop?" He pleaded, surprisingly forgiving of the highly disagreeable bird. Annie approached quietly, her soft footsteps in the grass going unnoticed by Fritz, leaving him to only notice her once he went to stand and turn around. When he did, he jumped, making what he would never admit to being a girlish squeal. "Annie! I was, uh… I was just playing with this little guy."_

 _He gestured toward the chicken, and if the hen had eyebrows, she probably would have raised one at him in a nasty stare for calling her a little guy. Annie said nothing._

 _"Wait, that's right! I told Granny I'd have tea with her today!" Fritz exclaimed suddenly, after several seconds of silence, making Annie flinch. Taking no notice of it, the boy continued. "I'm gonna go check on her. Can you put this guy back in the coop?"_

 _This time, Annie joined the hen in giving Fritz a less than amused stare, but he didn't wait for an answer as he dashed off toward the house. She sighed and turned back to the disgruntled chicken, sitting down on the ground in front of it in a pile of skirts. The bird turned its head, looking at her more clearly with one eye. Outstretching one hand to it and making a clicking sound in her throat, Annie coaxed the chicken to let her pet it, which it did without hesitation._

 _She happily brushed her fingers through soft feathers, the hen closing its eyes and leaning into her touch slightly. "That boy doesn't know anything, does he? You're a very pretty lady." Annie told the bird, earning a happy cluck from the contented hen._

Standing from her place in the plot of harvested sweet potatoes, Annie picked up her basket of produce and moved on to the next plot. The carrots were next, luckily having grown just in time for the last day before the freeze. She pulled a few carrots from the middle first, making a nice clean space for her to sit down in the dirt again where she could reach everything.

Once she was comfortably working again, she thought about her previous memory. She could barely speak to anyone in those days, only Eda and sometimes Veronica could get words out of her mouth, leaving the other townspeople to an unintentionally cold silent treatment. Cringing, she wondered just how many people who were now more akin to being her friends thought of her at the time, if they had thought she didn't like them or something since she never spoke to them at first. Annie shook her head, flinging the thoughts away.

Thinking back to the chicken, she smiled. At least the animals had always liked her, and her them. It wasn't hard to get along well with any of the farm animals when they were so much easier to interact with than people. She continued working, not noticing the thick clouds gathering overhead.

 _Stepping back into the house and this time gently closing the door behind her, Annie was met with the curious stares of the kitchen table's two occupants. She froze like a caught rabbit._

 _"Oh, hey Annie! Is the chicken back in the coop?" Fritz asked, a sheepish grimace on his face as he remembered leaving her to deal with the uncooperative hen. Annie huffed and nodded, momentarily forgetting her anxiety in order to squint at him. The chicken's grumpy mood must have worn off on her._

 _"Annie, did something happen?" Madam Eda asked, glancing back and forth between the two young farmers with amusement in her eyes. Fritz slammed his hands on the table with a bit more force than necessary and zoomed out of his chair, a string of babbled dialogue following him as he absconded to the door._

 _"Oh man look at the time, I guess it's about time I headed home. I'll stop by later to help with the evening chores, Granny. Bye!" The door slammed shut before Eda could thank him. Annie blinked. Apparently she wasn't the only awkward one around here._

Still gathering carrots, Annie laughed at the memory. Something about Fritz disappearing head last through the door, babbling up a storm in his excuse to escape, never failed to amuse her now. Afterwards, Madam Eda had apologized for the trouble, but Annie remembered finding that she hadn't really minded the interaction. It was fun, albeit scary at first, to one up Fritz at chicken handling.

She paused in her work for a moment, thoughts drifting to the summer. Even as it had warmed up and her crops needed more and more water, Annie still hadn't gotten the hang of talking to the other people in town at the time, and found herself more often than not just visiting Eda for company during her moments of free time. She remembered one day in particular, arriving to find the old woman seemingly talking to herself, though it turned out she was just talking to a picture of her son. Annie started visiting even more often, after that, and even found the courage to talk to Fritz long enough to ask him to do the same, telling him what had transpired that day. He had agreed without question.

With the last of the carrots pulled from the ground, Annie stood and headed toward Eda's farm, pausing again to harvest her spinach when she noticed it was ready. The crisp green leaves were easily plucked into her hands, their fresh scent filling the cold air and she couldn't quite resist the urge to eat one or two. Or maybe three. She wondered if any of this particular vegetable would make it to her neighbor at all, at this rate.

While chewing and continuing to pluck the small bunches of leaves growing from the ground, her thoughts drifted to the previous week. She again did not notice it getting darker outside as the clouds above grew thicker.

 _Annie hummed in approval at the warm ceramic pot in her gloved hands, the heat from it and the contents inside warming her chilled fingers against the crisp air as she walked. The leaves of the trees around her were only just turning brown, but a cold wind had been quick to take up residence in the absence of summer as the sweltering days slipped further and further away._

 _Soon, she was at Madam Eda's door, and she juggled the pot to one hand to knock with the other. As always, the old woman called from inside, prompting Annie to turn the knob and then push the door open with her backside to keep from bumping the pot into anything._

 _"Hello Annie! It's good to see you. Please, come sit a while." The elder paused, taking notice of the younger's full hands. "Oh? What have you got there?"_

 _Annie smiled. "I had a good harvest this morning, Granny. I thought I would share, so I made your favorite." She said, setting the pot on the table and lifting its lid away to reveal baked sweet potatoes; Eda's favorite food._

 _"You made all of this just for me?" The old woman beamed, her relaxed face lifting in near childlike glee at the gift. She turned, beckoning Annie in for a hug. "Thank you, dear. It's been a long time since someone else has made this dish for me."_

 _The younger girl took no time in embracing her elder, not at all complaining at Eda's surprisingly bone crushing grip as she squeezed Annie close to her. Something about the caring touch, even if it was a bit hard to breathe, and the way Annie could bury her face in the old woman's shoulder and feel safe was very nice. It wasn't something she'd ever had, back home. She suddenly wished she could have come here many years ago, all of those years wasted being afraid in the city could have been time spent with comfort like this._

 _But the past was the past, and all she could do now was look forward to the time ahead. She pulled away, smiling at the old farmer. Eda smiled back, still overly cheerful about the gift. "Dearie, could you get me a plate from the cupboard? I'd like to try this food of yours right away, it smells lovely."_

 _Annie nodded at the request and went to do as asked. Only, she found the cupboards nearly empty, and her eyes trailed down to the towering stacks of dishes sitting in the sink. Eda followed her gaze._

 _"Oh, the dishes? Don't worry, I'll get to those later. There should be enough in the cupboard still for this meal."_

 _Glancing back at the old woman, Annie did as asked and recovered a plate and some silverware, but once she had those placed on the table she didn't sit down as Eda again directed her to. She felt a curious stare pointed on her back as she walked away from the table, turning on the water and beginning to wash the mountain of dishes herself. Eda didn't say anything, only watching for a while and then digging in to the awaiting food._

With the spinach thoroughly gathered and partially eaten, Annie stood yet again and made her way toward the property line between the two farms. The wind kicked up harshly, whipping her skirts around with a snap and almost making her feel as if she'd be blown away. Clutching the basket of fresh vegetables to her chest, Annie looked up, watching dark storm clouds swirl overhead. The air smelled wet and heavy.

"It'll rain soon. I'd better get these delivered and make sure her animals are in the barn." She mumbled to herself, moving more quickly.

 _Once Annie had finished washing and drying the last plate, the one Eda had used for her sweet potatoes, she set it with finality on top of the stack in the cupboard. The plate clinked gently and Annie turned around, proudly declaring she'd finished._

 _"You washed every last dish?" Annie nodded. "Thank you, dear. That was very sweet of you. Now please, come have a seat."_

 _With slightly sore feet from standing so long, the young girl finally did as asked and plopped down comfortably in the chair across from the old woman, feeling better as soon as her weight was off her feet. She let out a long breath, idly removing the bandana from her head and pulling her hair down to retie it. Eda watched quietly for a moment before letting her thoughts be known._

 _"I've been so achy lately that I've been putting off chores I normally do without a second thought." She admitted, earning a concerned hum from Annie, who was now brushing her long hair out with her fingers. "Going outside is even more effort, and you know there's plenty to be done out there. Goodness, getting old is such a bother."_

 _Growing more concerned, Annie paused in her idle grooming, fixing the old woman with a sharp stare. She stayed silent, not sure what to say, but Eda had learned to read the girl's expressions in her long moments of silence._

 _"No, no. It's alright. I know my body well enough, and I don't plan on going anywhere for years to come. Don't look so worried, dear. You'll have plenty of chances to make me lots more sweet potatoes." Madam Eda hinted, cheerful and totally not at all trying to suggest more food gifts. For a moment, Annie found herself amused, imagining the old woman trying to mind control her by thinking the words 'sweet potato' over and over while she held that cheery stare. Of course, Annie didn't know that actually_ _ **was**_ _currently the old woman's inner monologue._

 _Eventually, after a long staring contest they both started laughing, loud and jovial. Annie went back to her hair, tying it up again while the old woman stared up at the ceiling, thoughtful._

 _"But… I do feel more secure with you as my neighbor, dear." Eda started again, back down to earth with reality in her voice. Annie's attention snapped back to her again, waiting for words she didn't want to hear. "I know that if something ever did happen, you'd take good care of my farm."_

 _Her nerves kicking back in again, Annie found her anxiety creeping into her own voice for the first time in awhile as she spoke. "Please don't talk about things like that, Granny. I know you don't find it hard, but that time isn't yet and I… don't want to think about it. I'm not ready for something like that." The girl had a hard time keeping the wobble out of her voice, emotions trying to take over. She felt guilty for selfishly halting the topic Eda wanted to speak about, but the thought of the old woman not being here made her stomach churn._

 _Now, more than ever, she wished she could have come here years ago. Maybe then, this talk wouldn't be so hard._

 _Eda did as she asked without complaint, smoothly switching to another topic right away. They went about doing chores together, but the activities from that point on didn't stay lodged in Annie's mind. Only the nagging fear in the back of her mind, whispering to her in moments of silence, did._

Annie shivered as the wind buffeted against her dress, cold and unforgiving. A very light sprinkling of icy rain fell from above, dotting her skin in a pattern of random wet spots that made the wind bite all the more. Eda's house rose up in front of her as she approached, warm yellow lights glowing through the windows, and she eagerly moved a little quicker against the heavy wind. Nearby, from all of Eda's barns and chicken coops, the animals inside were throwing absolute fits.

"What is their problem?" Annie wondered out loud, listening to many very, very angry animals all yelling in their own way. Deciding she'd have to check on them afterward, she rushed to the house and knocked on the door like always.

But Eda didn't call from inside like she always did, instead there was silence. Annie blinked, confused, and slowly pushed the door open, searching for the old woman inside as she stepped in.

"Granny? I'm sorry for bothering you, but–" The young girl cut herself off with a gasp, the basket in her hands falling to the floor in a dull crash when she spotted the unmoving form on the floor by the kitchen. She was over in an instant, running through the small house to kneel by Eda's side and turn the old woman onto her back. Eda was out cold, unresponsive as Annie shook her. "Granny! Granny wake up, please! Please…"

Slowly, so very slowly, the old woman weakly opened her eyes, looking up dully. The shine was gone from her previously lively eyes. "…Annie, dear, is that you?"

Relief blossomed in Annie's chest. "Yes, yes it's me. Don't worry, I'll get help okay?" She offered, looking around and trying to decide what to do.

"Wait…" Eda protested weakly, and Annie froze solid. "Don't be sad, child. I'm very happy to have met you."

"What are you saying, Granny?" Annie was trembling, holding the too-still, too-quiet old woman.

"Please let Veronica know I want you to have my farm. I know you'll take good care of it and make me proud." Eda was interrupted by a cough that left her voice hoarse. "I've lived a long and full life, dear, and knowing you'll take care of my land… I have no regrets."

"No, no no no, please stay with me! Please, please…" The younger girl had tears openly streaming down her face, her voice cracking. This couldn't be happening, not now, not so soon.

"I've truly lived a wonderful life…" Eda sighed, her eyes gently closing. She slumped, limp, against Annie. The girl's blood ran cold.

"Granny? No… Eda, please don't leave me! We've only just met, I have to make you more sweet potatoes remember?! You can't leave now, you can't! PLEASE!" But she didn't get a response. The only sound was the rain picking up outside, the wind howling. The old woman in her arms didn't speak, didn't move.

Didn't _breathe._

Annie was still as a statue, feeling as if the world was crashing down on her all at once. The silence was too loud, too much, it was deafening, she couldn't hear the rain or the wind, only the lack of Eda's breathing. The nothingness was too loud, it was too loud too loud _too loud-_

Annie threw her head back and screamed.

* * *

A clock ticked in the corner, echoing off the wooden walls. A pen scratched paper, over and over, rhythmic. A paper was flipped, replaced by another, the scratching continued. The clock ticked more.

"Working hard, I see." Veronica nearly jumped out of her skin as she was wrenched back to reality, out of her little world of paperwork. She turned to see who had startled her, a head of bright pink hair and skillfully applied makeup making it easy to tell.

"Oh, hello Marian." She greeted the town's resident doctor, who was sipping her fifth cup of coffee and peering down at the documents splayed out on Veronica's desk over her shoulder. "What, would you like to help?"

"Nope. I have patient files to organize, that's enough desk work for me thank you very much." The tall woman remarked, taking another sip of her scalding hot, unsweetened beverage. "I just needed to step away for a moment."

A loud booming noise rang out in the room, making both women look up out the window at the crack of thunder. "That's quite the storm out there. I hope the farmers are alright." Veronica said, watching the rain pour outside, so heavy it couldn't be seen through. Marian sipped her coffee again, silent.

Shaking her head, Veronica quietly went back to her paperwork, her pen scratching against the parchment again. Marian turned away, heading back toward the clinic. Then, it happened. The front doors of the Guild slammed open _hard,_ startling both women and making Marian drop her coffee while Veronica smeared ink on her page. Their attention snapped up to find the source of the scare, and only then did they focus on the disheveled, muddy, heavily breathing young farmer standing in the doorway.

Annie was without her signature bandana with the flower pin, her hair messily falling out of its ponytail to fall around her tearstained face. Her clothes were plastered to her body with water, and splattered heavily with mud as if she'd fallen in some. She shivered heavily, sobbing and seemingly close to collapsing as she wrapped her arms around herself and babbled unintelligible nonsense. Behind her, her horse was equally as drenched and mud covered, shivering as well while it followed close enough to touch her back with its nose.

Veronica was on her feet immediately, while Marian took no time in trying to rush to the young girl. Before either of them could reach her, however, she found her voice.

"It's Eda…" She breathed, making them both freeze. They turned to look at each other, and she continued, voice growing hysterical. "I went to… and she… Please, please help her! You have to do something! PLEASE!"

"Annie." Marian soothed, voice warm and calm. "What's wrong with Madam Eda?"

Annie stopped. She was silent, her eyes unfocusing as she stared at the floor. She was silent for so long, both women were again startled when she suddenly screamed. "She's **_DYING!_** " Her voice was so loud it cracked, and she immediately fell into another sobbing fit after, continuing to wail and scream between sobs.

The adult women looked at each other. "Leave her with Angela. We need to go see." Veronica commanded. Marian nodded.

Annie didn't remember anything after that.

* * *

Later, Annie had to be gently guided to the old woman's grave by the river for the funeral. They gave her flowers to plant on it, which she did so mindlessly, kneeling in the snow and forgetting she even had legs after the cold made her numb. When she ran out of flowers, she just sat there, staring with empty eyes and seeing nothing. When the rest of the townspeople arrived to attend, she still didn't move. She didn't even notice the people she'd started to become friends with were looking at her with concern. Veronica was speaking at some point, talking about Eda and her will for Annie to get her farm, but Annie heard none of it. Even once it was over, and people started to leave, Annie didn't move. Eventually, only Marian, Veronica, and Fritz remained, and only they were there to witness the young girl slump over onto her side and cry into the snow.

Even once it got dark, she made no move to get up, and eventually Marian sighed and picked the girl up, carrying her silently back to her home. Veronica and Fritz watched them go, watched one of Annie's arms fall limply as she just didn't care to move at all, watched Marian try and fail to talk to the unresponsive girl. Fritz was almost more heartbroken at how hard she was taking it than the actual event itself.

"She just seems… Empty." He mumbled, watching her head loll limply over Marian's arm, her half closed eyes staring sightlessly into the sky.

Veronica put a hand on his shoulder, meeting his concerned and sad gaze with her own. "That's what happens when the one person to ever truly care for you, dies. You feel like you'll go back to the world you knew before, the one where no one was kind and no one treated you like a human. Without that one person, nothing matters anymore, because they were the only one that bothered to take care of you and make you feel wanted. That's what Annie is feeling now, without Madam Eda."

Fritz looked back to the retreating figure of the doctor.

Looked to the girl who'd given up.

To the girl who'd found home and family, and lost it.

"I wonder if she'll ever be okay."

"Only time will tell, Fritz."

As the sun drifted behind the leafless trees, drawing long, jagged shadows across the ground, the two turned away and went home. The flowers on the grave swayed in the breeze.


End file.
